Painfully in Love with the Enemy
by BrightSide of Nowhere
Summary: A second person, watching over her carefully, find himself trapped into the heart wrenching tale of Hermione’s life after the war, and the way she dealt with the pain of falling in love with the enemy and learning that love isn't everything.
1. Chapter 1

Story- Painfully in Love with the Enemy

Summary- The story follows the relationship of Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger through the trails of being in love with someone that they can never understand. Takes place seven years after she leaves Hogwarts, after a final battle that killed both Harry and Ron. A second person, watching over her carefully, find himself trapped into the heart wrenching tale of Hermione's life after the war, and the way she dealt with her pain.

Pairings- HG/DM, SS/HG (somewhat), DM/PP, HG/RL

Author note- This is my first DM/HG fanfiction. It's going to be kind of dark.

Warning- Several character deaths. Abuse (both emotional and physical), nonconsensual situations, suicide, murder. Very dark.

Disclaimer- I own nothing of the Harry Potter universe. They belong to J.K. Rowling. I just use them in my fantasies.

Chapter One- Beginning of the End

She gripped the wet, slick ledge through the sheets of rain. Her knuckles began to turn white as she strained to hold onto the edge of the balcony. Her dress and hair flowed in the wind, soaked with the freezing cold water. Her tears mixed freely with the rain as it fell from the sky and onto her face. Her small, weak sobs were barely audible over the sound of the rain hitting the closed windows around her. "Please." She choked out. "Please, someone help me." She cried her voice cracked with terror. A wicked, evil laugh came from the open window above her. She looked up into the eyes of the man, the cold and gray eyes she had grown to love. They used to be filled with a passion, a lust, a spark of fire; but now they held nothing but power and anger. They were cold, unyielding eyes, instead of loving eyes. She shivered, both from the cold and from his new, strange eyes. She stared up at him, a new resolve present on her face. "Goodbye." She said as the gray-eyed blonde looked down on her. She smiled and let her hands slip away. She fell back, the rain barely touching her body anymore. She felt peaceful like she was floating away from life. The darkness melted her sense of sight, but she felt everything. The rain as her body flew through it, the wind as it whipped at her hair and exposed skin. She calmed, awaiting the end of her life. But, she didn't hit the ground! Instead, she felt arms wrap around her waist and grab her to safety. "Damn you." She said, as she stood to yell at her "savior". She was angry, she wanted it to end. His eyes had been filled with nothing, no symbolism of the love at all. It broke her heart. "Damn you, you bastard." She turned her attention to the person who had "saved" her. His raven-black hung over his coal-black eyes, which stared at her through the darkness of the night. His pale, white skin glowed in the moonlight. He stood straight, domineering, giving him the appearance of authority. She gasped a small, yet weak sound. She gathered herself and ran, far away from the man who had "saved" her life. She ran, straight to her room, her eyes filled with water and her breath labored. She turned, hoping not to find what she saw there. He stood, the same authority and dominance that he had outside. "Please, just leave. You have done enough." She said in a weak voice.

"Ms. Granger, you need to tell me what's been going on. Where is your husband?" the man asked with no emotion showing in his voice.

"Please, leave me." She said through her tears.

The man closed the gap between them and pulled her into a firm, safe hold. "Ms. Granger, please tell me. Or, shall I go get your husband?" His voice was demanding, like it have been seven years ago when she had last talked to him.

"No!" She answered quickly. She walked towards the door and locked it. "Silenco." She muttered, placing a silencing charm around the room. She sat down in a chair in front of her fireplace, her "savior" sat next to her. She lit the fire with her wand. "You've been gone a long time."

"I know. After the war, I didn't feel like staying around." He kept his head down, staring at the fire.

"I missed you. We wanted to tell you that we were sorry. I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for accusing you and trying to kill you in the final battle. It took me a while to realize that you were on our side." She said.

"That's quite alright." He said.

"I guess you heard about my marriage." She said, turning to look at him.

"Yes. It was one of the first things I was told when I arrived." He didn't look up at her.

"I would have married Ron, but he died in battle with Harry. I didn't mean to fall in love with someone else and never meant for it to be him." She looked out the window.

"Are you happy?" He asked showing a slight concern.

"For a while, yes I was." She didn't move to look at him, although she could feel his eyes on her.

"Care to explain, love?" He asked, almost daring her with.

She smiled, watching his reflection in the window. "Do you have the time to hear about it?"

He let a small, yet genuine smile cross over his face. "For you, I have all the time in the world."

She smiled, ignoring the pet names, the subtle hints, and the concern in his voice. "Okay." She said, finally looking at him. "Prepare for the worst love story ever."

-x-

A/N: I know this is kind of strange, and that it seems to be a SS/HG fic, but it's not. There is a reason that I don't use the names of the men in this chapter, but you will see soon. This is my first attempt at a HG/DM fic, as well as a dark/angst-ridden story.


	2. The Battle is over, the war is won, and

A/N: All those disclaimers, summaries, warnings and such still apply for this chapter. I got two reviews. Major props to my first reviewer XorderlyXchaosXnXconfusion for the first review and for my friend who put her feeling about fanfiction aside and reviewed my story. The more and more that I sit here and think about the story, the more and more ideas that I have about it. I want it to be well written, follow the lines that I want it to go, and not have the sugary-coated happily-ever-after to it (that's pretty much all that I write). I'm hoping that I will be able to write this well, so please review with any constructive criticism or praises. No flames please. The only thing that is subject to change is the HG/RL pairing. I may change it later, but I don't know. And this is a DM/HG story, don't worry. To my readers of For Love or Death, I haven't switched ships, I prefer to write both. But enough blabbering… onto the story.

-x-

Chapter Two- The Battle is over, the war is won, and the price has been paid

The battle had been going on for days and the bodies of the dead and the wounded littered the ground as the living stepped over them as they fought for their own lives. People fell to the blood-soaked ground as the sun set on the battlefield. Hermione threw hexes and curses at anyone who was against her, including Snape. It was only after Snape saved Ginny by pushing her out of the way, that she realized he was on their side. She stopped focusing on Snape and continued to fight the Death Eaters. She was hit suddenly with a hex, throwing her into the air. She landed at the feet of someone. "Stand," the hissy voice said. She stood, looking into the eyes of Voldemort with no fear showing. She didn't flinch or falter from the evil look in his eyes. "You are very foolish, but very bright. Join me; we will make an excellent pair."

"I will never join with you!" She said, pointing her wand at his heart.

He gripped his own wand and muttered a hex. She fell to her knees and writhed on the ground in pure agony. He laughed wickedly as he saw the fear rush over her. "Goodbye…" he never finished his sentence. Something hit him in the back, throwing him across the battlefield. Snape's strong, but tired form walked up and threw more hexes at Voldemort. She heard Snape mutter the killing curse, and she knew he had won. Hermione jumped to her feet, but she was hit with a hex. Maybe from exhaustion or maybe from the pain; she passed out.

-x-

When Hermione woke up, she was still on the blood-covered battlefield. She sat straight up and scanned the area. Bodies littered the ground around her. She stood up and walked towards the edge of the battlefield; sitting down on the grassy hill that over looked the blood-soaked grass and mangled bodies. Something moved to her right and she caught a glimpse of a person out of the corner of her eye. She jerked her head around and found herself staring into a pair of cold, gray eyes. _Malfoy! _Hermione thought. She leaned back to get a better look of the person. _Draco. _She said to herself. She sighed with a certain kind of relief. _At least it isn't his father. _Draco sat down next to Hermione and turned to look across the battlefield. Hermione followed his gaze and noticed for the first time that there were people on the outer edge of the battlefield. "They are surveying, seeing who is dead and who can be saved." His voice was soft and gentle, but tired from the battle. He refused to look at her. "Do you know if they are dead?"

Hermione knew he was talking about Harry, Ron, and Ginny. She started to tear up, remembering when she saw Ron's body fall onto the ground, his wand flying out of his hand and his sister rushing to his aid, only to meet a similar fate. I saw Ron go down, his sister too, before I faced Voldemort. I don't know about Harry. I think he's gone too. Snape killed Voldemort." Instantly, she regretted saying that. The war was over, but Malfoy was still a Death Eater's son, it not a Death Eater himself. "Do you know about your father?" She asked, not knowing who else Malfoy cared for in that battle.

"He's dead." Malfoy said with little care in his voice.

"Do you know who killed him?" Hermione asked.

"Of course I do," Malfoy said as he watched the people survey the battlefield. "I killed him."

Hermione turned to meet Malfoy's ice-gray eyes. "Good for you," she said, "he was a wicked man and he treated you horribly."

Malfoy said no thanks, but he kept his eyes locked on hers. "You know we only survived because we passed out. Those are the only good guys left. All that Death Eaters that survived ran."

Hermione's eyes began to tear again. It was true, she knew deep down that Harry, Ron and Ginny were dead. She began to cry at the lost of her friends. Most people had died in the battle and she just hoped that some Order members she knew would be alive. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to break down like this."

"No one ever does," Malfoy responded. Hermione remembered vividly that Harry had found Malfoy crying in the bathroom at Hogwarts. "You haven't asked me why I didn't run with the other Death Eaters."

Hermione smiled. "I've hated you for a long time Malfoy. You tried to kill Dumbledore last year. But I've never though you to be evil."

Malfoy let a small smirk run across his face. "Is that so Granger?"

Hermione didn't look at Malfoy. She was too busy gazing at the group of people searching the field. The group had gotten bigger, which Hermione knew was a good thing; it meant more people was being found alive. But, Hermione saw the group comforting a fallen person had sunk to his or hers knees and was grieving over a body they had found. Hermione knew that if she got up and walked the battlefield, she would find people she knew and she would fall to her knees in pain. "It's sad," she whispered. She began to cry again, more like a she began to weep, for all the dead that lay in front of her. To her surprise, she felt an arm wrap around her. She leaned into his chest and told herself it was just for comfort. She had no feelings for him. But, she couldn't lie to herself and she knew that she never had a lack of emotion for him. When she had first met him, or saw him at least, she was fascinated by hi. He had perfect looks; his white-blond hair was a perfect match to his pale, alabaster-white skin, his cool gray eyes were piercing and filled with a fire, his walk was that of power, money, and desire. He was the perfect boy, with the good looks and the money. It was only days later that he first called her mudblood. In the privacy of her rooms, she cried. She let her tears fall that night, but just that night. From then on, for the next six years, she hated him immensely. But in her last years at Hogwarts, she had started to feel pity for him. She knew that Harry had found Malfoy crying to Moaning Myrtle and she had felt that maybe there was more to Malfoy then he let on. She knew about his father, about the way he forced him to believe like him. She felt sorry for him, but she couldn't have told him. The last time she saw Malfoy, he was running away with Snape after the attack on Hogwarts. She had been in Snape's room and as she looked out the window there was Snape and Harry, yelling and fighting each other. She remembered seeing Malfoy look back at the school with a look of sadness in his eyes. She wished she could perform Legilimency and reach into his mind. But she couldn't and all she could do was watch at they ran away. That night was the second time she had cried about him, but this time she cried because she didn't know what fate he would meet away from the school. She noticed then, maybe she would have sooner if she hadn't been so stubborn, that she cared for him. Her tears kept falling as she though about him while he held her. The two of them were probably the only school kids who had survived. He wrapped both his arms around her waist and pulled her up into his lap. Her head rested against his chest. It was comfortable to her, it made her feel safe. She cried still, unable to stop her tears.

"I think it will be all right now with him gone." Malfoy said.

"Voldemort or your father?" Hermione asked her voice faint through her tears.

"Was there much of a difference? Malfoy said.

She could feel the anger in him. Reaching for his hand, she took it in her own. It was a small gesture, to show him she wanted to help him feel better. "No, there wasn't. But you are different. You are better then they were and you always were."

"Why defend me and say nice things Granger? As I recall, I was an ass to you. The only words I ever said to you were filled with hate and all I called you was…" he stopped as if he was unable to say the word.

"A mudblood," she finished. He nodded. Hermione looked up into his eyes. "This war is over Malfoy. Voldemort is dead and there is no reason to still hate you. Besides, you fought on our side. You aren't a bad man Malfoy."

He looked down at her. She had stopped crying but neither one was willing to let go. It was a comfort to be with each other, to have someone warm against their bodies. She had gotten older, and more beautiful then he had remembered her being. There had always been an attraction to her, a passion and a lust behind his hate for her. Being so close to her, hearing her say that she didn't hate him or find him to be the monster that his father tried to make him, having her in his arms without her being disgusted; the whole thing was a strange experience for him. He found her the perfect fit his arms and wanted her to stay there. He leaned down and without even thinking, he kissed her. It was a soft, gentle kiss. He let his tongue run across her lips and to his surprise she parted her lips to give him access to her mouth. Their tongues danced with each other in a fiery kiss. Malfoy and Hermione let all their passion, all their joy for being alive, seep into the kiss. It wasn't strange for them; although they were kissing the person they had hated most of their lives. "Umm, umm." The man cleared his throat near them.

They pulled away and Hermione looked up. "Mr. Weasley!" Hermione yelled, jumping up and hugging him. "And Mrs. Weasley! I am so glad that you are okay." She said hugging the woman she had come to love as a mother.

"As are we to see you," the woman said with a sad expression.

Hermione looked down. "I saw Ron and Ginny go down. I'm so sorry."

They both looked sad, but said nothing. "Any news on Harry?"

"Professor McGonagall, oh thank gods." Hermione said. She hugged her. She stepped back. There were others that she knew; the twins, Bill, Remus and Tonks, and a few others. She looked back at her former professor. "I think, but I am not sure, that Voldemort killed him. I know that Snape was the one that killed Voldemort when he came after me."

No one said anything, but they all were thinking about the great lose. Hermione felt Malfoy stand next to her. Mr. Weasley looked at him. "Malfoy," he said in almost pure rage.

"He fought on our side Mr. Weasley; he killed his own father in battle. He's not a bad guy." Hermione defended.

They all stared at the two, but agreed to believe her. They stood there as they looked out over the battlefield of their lost friends. Someone yelled that they had found Harry and everyone suddenly was in tears, with the exception of Malfoy. But, he stood next to Hermione and wrapped his arms around her for comfort. She cried and cried in his arms and he let her. The sun began to rise to the middle of the sun and they all knew that soon they would see how bad the battle was. They all knew that soon they would have to bury the people that they loved.


	3. Connection

A/N: Okay. So for those of you who are reading my fic here, I have just a few things to say. The first one is to tell you that this will not be a sugar-coated, fairy-tail like story. Even though the beginning has them lovey-dovey, it will not be that way the entire story.

Chapter 3- Connection

Funerals were held almost everyday. People that they loved and cared for were being buried left and right and it was almost too much for some people to take. Harry was buried next to his parents, and although there was no body, Sirius was buried beside him. Ron and Ginny were buried next to Harry as well, Ginny the closest to him. There was a sense of hope that they all found each other after death, and that they would all be together again.

Any student that had died in the midst of the battle, and whose parents approved, were buried on Hogwarts grounds. A clearing was made in the Forbidden Forest and almost thirty children where buried there. It was a heart-wrenching sight that Hermione had yet to visit. In her own grief over Ron, Harry, and Ginny, Hermione had only left the Burrow to visit their graves. She hadn't spoken to anyone, except for the quiet words she whispered to her fallen friends' graves. She wasn't eating, she wasn't sleep; she had become a walking version of the dead. It was heart-wrenching as the people that cared for her watched her sink into a darkness they feared she would never return from.

-x-

Four weeks after the burial of Harry, Ginny, and Ron; Malfoy appeared at the Burrow. It was shocking, the way his appearance had changed. He still had the good looks, the same walk that spoke of power and money, but his cool-gray eyes were filled with sadness and lose. Even though he had killed his father, he had also lost his mother in fate's cruel hands. He had no one now, and he didn't even know if he had anyone here. Something had compelled him to come to her, to see how she had taken burying her closest friends. He had gone mad, shouting blame at the Death Eaters that came to Lucius's funeral (not many were there to honor his mother). He left his house three weeks later, unable to sleep in the house he grew up in. Malfoy didn't know why he had felt drawn to her, why he wanted to know if she was okay. They had shared something, a kiss filled with the happiness to be alive and the sorrow of those who weren't. She had found comfort in his arms that day, and he had found comforting in having her there. But, it was just that, comfort. There were no true feelings behind it, yet here he stood. In front of the house of a family that he had humiliated, taunted, and made their lives hell. And inside were members of a group that thought him evil and a young girl who believed he wasn't. His head was filled with mixed thoughts, calculating what he would say to everyone when they saw him. He knocked, waited only a few minutes, and saw the door open. Ms. Weasley opened the door, her eyes wide with fear of him. But, she locked eyes with him. As she stared into the cold-gray eyes that had once been filled with power and greed, she stepped aside and motioned for him to enter the house. He entered, hoping the no one else would see him before he could visit her, but the whole house stood waiting in the drawing room, their wands out. "Put those silly wands away, this war is over and I won't have duels in my house any longer." Everyone put their wands away, with the exception of Fred and George. They stood there, wands pointed right at Malfoy's chest. "Fred and George Weasley, you will put your wands away. I won't have you two doing anything to provoke ANYONE into a duel. I will not bury anymore of my children."

The room was silent at the comment; the only noise was that of Fred and George putting their wands away. Remus Lupin walked towards the boy and paused in front of him. "What do you want here, Malfoy?"

Malfoy was quiet for a while, but then he spoke. His voice was less cold and distant then it was before, and there wasn't the bite of venom in it. "I wish to see Hermione."

"I don't think so." Fred yelled from across the room.

"Be quiet!" Ms. Weasley yelled. She moved to the bottom of the stairs. "Come along then, it will do her some good to see you."

"Are you mad woman?" George said.

"If you didn't see the connection on the battlefield, then trust those of us who did." This time Professor McGonagall spoke in defense for him. Malfoy heard the twins growl as he headed up the stairs.

At the top, Ms. Weasley knocked lightly on a door. "Hermione, dear, there is someone here to see you." Malfoy heard the door unlock, but Hermione made no effort to open it. "She's very weak and she won't eat or sleep. Be careful with her."

Malfoy nodded and he opened the door. He walked into the dark room slowly and walked directly over to the window. He opened the curtains, letting the light from the sun shine in. Hermione was sitting on her bed, the brown-curly hair that once had so much life, hung around her face as if it too had given up. She was skinner, so much that her bones were almost visible. Her eyes were sunken in slightly and dark circles were present under her eyes. She looked like she'd been through hell, and he knew how close to the truth that statement was. He stood there, looking at her, and wondered what he should do. "Granger," he said, not entirely sure that it was okay to use her first name.

She looked up at him, finally noticing who had entered the room. "Malfoy," she whispered, her eyes sparking with a tiny bit of life.

The look in her eyes was his proof that she too needed him. He sauntered over to her and sat next to her, wrapping her in his arms. "You haven't been as strong as I though you would be."

"It's hard to be strong when you are the only one out of your friends that is alive. When you want so much to die, but don't have the courage to kill yourself." She said through tears that came naturally.

He looked down at her. "My mother is dead, along with my father. At least you have all those people down there that love and care for you, I have no one. Anyone I was associated with was a Death Eater, and I am not."

Hermione smiled; the first smile that she had since the funerals. "You have someone who cares for you."

Malfoy smirked slightly, and turned Hermione so that she was looking at him. "Are you implying that you care?"

Hermione detangled herself from his arms and stood up. She walked over to the open window. The bright blue sky was shinning, so unlike it had been before the end of the war. The grass was green, brightly colored flowers bloomed around the yard, birds chirped and flew in the sky, and Hermione felt like she was out of place in this world. "Don't hold yourself in such high regard Malfoy. I care for everyone."

"Is that so?" Malfoy said, rising from her bed. He sauntered over to her. She backed up on instinct, the same way that she always had when a boy advanced on her, but she ran out of room. With her back against the wall, Malfoy stood close to her. She could feel his hot breath on her neck and her ear as he whispered. "Are you sure there's nothing more to it?"

She took a deep breath. "Do you want there to be something more?" She said in a husky, low voice.

Malfoy didn't answer; he just leaned down and kissed her. It was filled with passion, with lust. He broke away from her and stared into her chocolate-brown eyes. "Tell me you don't feel something."

Hermione looked at him and smirked. "I can't feel anything but pain Malfoy."

"Then let me find a way to make it better for you." Malfoy said.

He kissed her again, but this time she pulled away. "No Malfoy, I won't let you use me because you are in pain. And I'll be damned if I use someone else because I am."

"Granger, we need each other. What about that do you not understand? Does fate need to drop something heavy on your head to make you understand? We are practically the only two from our year left; well the ones that fought. We happened to find each other, happened to be there to comfort each other, and happened to make a connection. Everyone else who saw us that day will tell you, we have something between us. It's not hate anymore, because I'm not longer under the power of my father to hate mudbloods."

"Stop it Malfoy," Hermione said as she moved away from him. "I can't do this with you."

"What, sex?" Malfoy smirked. "That's the easy part Granger. Having sex with me is simple; it's an act of comfort, of passion and lust. Loving me will be the hard part," he said as he looked in her eyes.

"What makes you think that I will love you?" Hermione said, annoyed already.

Malfoy smiled. "You already do," he said. "Want to know how I know?"

"How," she asked.

He closed the distance between them and kissed her. They broke away when they both ran out of air. "No one can kiss someone like that and not love them."

"Implying that you love me too?" She asked with raised eyebrows.

"I might," Malfoy said, "if you give me the chance to find out."

"Hermione, dinner's ready. Malfoy would you, for the love of Merlin, get that child to eat? She's going to disappear soon," Mrs. Weasley's voice traveled up the stairs.

"Come on, let's eat." Malfoy said. "You need it."

Hermione looked at him hesitantly as he held out his hand for her to hold. "Okay, but don't think that you being here is what changed my mind. I'm just really hungry."

"Right Granger," he said as she grabbed his hand. "Whatever you say."


End file.
